O'Leary hosting three-team senior fastball tournament

The Summerside Chrysler Dodge Eagles host the top men’s fastball teams in Atlantic Canada this weekend in O'Leary to tee-off the squad's 2014 season.

In the tourney are the East Hants Mastodons (N.S.), the Charlottetown Fawcett’s and the Eagles.

It starts Saturday when East Hants faces Charlottetown, at 3 p.m., at Ellis Field.

The Eagles play the Mastodons at 5 p.m., then tangle with the Fawcett's at 7 p.m.

"We are super excited to get started and to have quality teams like East Hants and Charlottetown to kick start our season," said Jeff Ellsworth, Eagles co-coach. "East Hants and Charlottetown are proven ball clubs and will provide excellent games for us to measure where we are at and to help us best prepare us for what’s to come in August."

The tournament features a round-robin format Saturday. The second- and third-place finishers play a semifinal on Sunday at 11 a.m., the first-place team receives a bye to the championship game at 1 p.m.

In August, the Eagles will compete in the North American Fastpitch Association World Series in Quad Cities, Iowa.

"We have won the Eastern Canadians the last three years so we wanted to take it to another level to test our abilities. We have a generally young squad so we felt NAFA was a step in the right direction for our ball club to see where we matched up internationally," said Ellsworth. "Teams from around the world will be in attendance such as Japan, Argentina, Mexico and many others."

This year's Eagles club is led by the pitching staff of Mitch Hardy, Steve Noonan and Jamie Betts. Troy Ellsworth and Jordan Knox handle the catching duties.

Coaches are Ellsworth and Eric Gavin while Alan Clark is the team manager.

The Eagles will also play in tournaments in Charlottetown, East Hants and Guysborough, N.S., and after Iowa, the Eagles host Team Canada's men’s softball team in an exhibition game on Monday, Aug. 25, 6:30 p.m., at Ellis Field.

The Eagles will defend the Eastern Canadian fastpitch title later this summer in Fredericton, N.B.

Schedule

Schedule for the men’s fastball tournament host by the Summerside Chrysler Dodge Eagles Saturday and Sunday in O'Leary: